‘Change Cold War mindset to see China’s human rights progress’(Lead)

Beijing, April 21 (Xinhua) A Chinese human rights expert Monday urged critics to change their Cold War mindset to appreciate the country’s rights record. “Only after long term struggles against imperialism and feudalism did China prepare the ground for realizing basic human rights,” Li Junru, deputy director of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said.

He was addressing the Beijing Human Rights Forum.

He noted that it was China’s development that guaranteed the realization of the human rights for each citizen.

Since China adopted the policy of opening up in 1978, reforms in economy, technology, education, culture, politics and democracy within the Communist Party of China has further promoted the country’s human rights secnario, he said.

China was now putting more emphasis on building a harmonious society and improving the people’s livelihood, which would further protect the human rights of its citizens, he said.

He said the government has laid emphasis on building a harmonious socialist society in accelerating development, focusing on improving people’s living conditions.

Human rights of Chinese citizens are better respected, realized and guaranteed in this process, he said.

He said in the human rights field, a developing country like China must give top priority to the rights of subsistence and development of its citizens, which are basic to realization of other rights.